Tyler's Gem: A Teen Romance

by Rua Hasan

  Right behind us were Matt and Troy. Both still had their outfits on, the same ones they wore for their ‘play’ this morning.

  I tilted my head back and let out a loud laugh as I stared at the looks of annoyance evident on both their faces. I had no idea they were still wearing their clothes. After the principle took them to his office, they weren’t seen for the whole day, and didn’t even show up at lunch. Matt wasn’t there in any of the classes we shared together, so I just assumed he went home. I even tried texting him but didn’t reply.

  “Aw baby look! It’s the cute couple in love!” I cooed.

  Tyler leaned closer as if inspecting them and nodded his head slowly as he chuckled.

  “They sure are cute aren’t they?” Tyler said then looked at Troy who was still wearing the small dress over his muscular body. “I mean just look at that hot chick. I mean da―”

  “Speak any further and I’ll shove these heels down your throat.” Troy glared as he took off the red heels which I had no idea how he was able to walk in. Tyler shot his hands up in the air in mock surrender and laughed.

  “Okay okay geez.” I felt his chest vibrate against my side. The sight in front of us was hilarious.

  “Why didn’t you two change?” I asked.

  “The f*cker decided on a better punishment other than give us detention,” Matt grumbled, referring to the principal while looking down at his clothes which weren’t nearly as embarrassing as Troy’s.

  “And what was that?” I asked, grinning.

  “We had to pass all the fliers for every single club to every single class in this whole damn school!” Troy cried out in horror. “In these clothes!”

  Damn well . . . That must have been awful. But I couldn’t help but laugh. I mean if I were in their places, I would have been extremely humiliated but I had to admit, it was also funny.

  “It’s nice to know that both of you care,” Matt said, annoyed as he sent both Tyler and I icy cold glares.

  “Sorry, but one day you’ll both be looking back at this and laugh,” Tyler said. I nodded, although Matt and Troy didn’t seem to agree.

  “Laugh? Do you know how much trouble I went through?” Matt asked, earning the attention of Troy. He whipped his head towards him and punched his shoulder.

  “You went through? You’re not the one dressed like a girl! Just look at this!” Troy shrieked, pointing at his outfit. “My own girlfriend thinks that I changed my sexuality overnight! Now she’s talking about couples therapy!” Troy cried dramatically. Matt rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

  “It’s not my fault you chose to wear it.” Matt shot back.

  “I chose to wear it? You’re the one who barged into my room at two AM in the morning throwing rehearsal scripts at me.” Troy pointed at his chest.

  Matt’s mouth fell open.

  “It was your idea to act out that stupid scene.” Matt glared.

  “Yeah and that’s because I didn’t want to act the one in bed!” Troy shouted. I tilted my head back and laughed, enjoying the looks on both of their faces.

  “What’s going on here?” Jasmine asked rushing towards them. I saw the look of concern appear on her face as her eyes landed on Troy.

  “Nothing baby. Matt’s just being a jerk,” he mumbled, causing Jasmine to gasp.

  “What?” She shrieked and whipped her head to look at Matt in disbelief.

  “Matt, I should have known you better.” She shook her head in disappointment.

  “Uh-what?” Matt uttered in confusion. Jasmine glared at him and walked over to him, shoving her finger to his chest.

  “You don’t have the right to bully someone over their sexuality.”

  Troy slapped his forehead.

  “Jasmine I’m straight!” He cried out for the hundredth time today but she didn’t even spare him a second glance.

  “I love my man!” She choked. “And if he decides that he wants to dress up like a woman for the rest of his life then I’ll support him.” By the end, I was surprised to see her eyes glossy as if she had tears behind them.

  “That’s it. I give up!” Troy threw his hands up into the air in defeat before walking over to the bench and sitting down next to Tyler. I watched as he placed his elbows onto his knees before sighing out loud. Tyler chuckled and placed his hands on his shoulder, trying to comfort him but also trying to keep in his laughter.

  ***

  After changing into a simple black blouse and jeans, I tied my hair up into a messy ponytail and rushed out of my room. I was in a hurry now because being five minutes late to your boyfriend’s house wasn’t something you’d want to happen, especially if it’s your first time having dinner there. So I ran as fast as I could, and grabbed my keys and phone before rushing out of my house. Thank the lords, I was living right next door.

  After stepping into their front porch, I rang the doorbell and waited for someone to open the door. I fiddled with my fingers nervously but looked up when I heard a click. I watched as the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man I knew too well. Paul. Surprisingly, he sent me a small smile and nodded his head in acknowledgment as he opened the door wider.

  “Crystal please do come in.”

  I walked into the house. Paul led me to the living room and turned to look at me.

  “Have a seat. Tyler’s up in his room getting changed.”

  Nodding my head, I sat on the couch and watched as he sat at the end of the couch.

  “Where’s Emma?” I asked.

  “In the kitchen. She’ll be here soon,” he answered.

  “Oh,” I muttered awkwardly. What the hell was I supposed to say at times like these?

  ‘Hello Paul who I don’t know very well! How’s your day been going so far? How’s your health? Are you treating Tyler well? Betray him and I will kill you!’

  Too much?

  “So how’s your relationship with my boy?” he asked rubbing his chin.

  I paused at his question.

  “Uh . . . it’s going good. Amazing actually,” I answered as I scratched the back of my head.

  “Well I’m glad to see that someone’s actually making him happy,” he whispered ever so slightly.

  “So how long are you planning on staying here?” I blurted out all of a sudden. I immediately cursed in my head when I realized what I just asked. That sounded so rude. Gosh why do I always mess up?

  I wanted to smack myself but didn’t get the chance to when Paul spoke, bringing me back to reality.

  “I’m staying until the day I die,” he said seriously as he stared at me like he was trying to read my soul. I stared at him not knowing what to say because of my stupid mouth.

  “Uh . . . I-I, well geez I’m sorry I didn’t . . . ” I stopped stuttering when Paul started laughing loudly.

  What did I do?

  “Works every time!” He cheered.

  “Huh?” I asked in confusion.

  He shook his head with a chuckle.

  “Don’t worry about it, child. I was just messing with you.”

  I nodded my head slowly like an idiot. My mind was still trying to figure out what just happened, but before I could think any further, Tyler came rushing down the stairs and towards me.

  “Gem! I’m glad you’re here,” he said before hugging me. Once I snapped out of my trance, I hugged him back. Just as we pulled away, Emma came walking out of the kitchen.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” she said with a huge grin. “Because I made my homemade pizza!”

  I smiled and was about to thank her but stopped when I heard something beep from the kitchen. Emma held a finger up, excused herself, then turned around, running back into the kitchen while holding her oven mitts. I leaned over to Tyler as I watched her rush back.

  “If we’re eating pizza then why not just order it? Why go through the trouble?” I whispered into his ear. Tyler grinned, showing me his perfectly straight teeth

  “Wait till you taste her pizza, then you’ll be coming back here every week. You won�
��t be able to order just any old pizza ever again.”

  I gasped, placing my hand over my heart dramatically.

  “It’s that good?” I asked.

  Tyler nodded, before answering.

  “Yup. It’s that good.”

  Chapter 51

  The days went by in a blur. You could say that it was one of the longest days of my life. Probably because I was so anxious to finish school, and probably because I couldn’t stand the load of work and exams I had on my shoulders. There was one thing I knew for sure though, and that was the fact that I was excited for break. The reason? Because I wouldn’t be a lazy potato for two whole weeks like I usually am, but instead am actually going to go away for a while and spend some quality time with Tyler.

  I knew for sure that he needed this. A time away to think, and maybe once he returns, he’ll be able to accept Paul as his father. Maybe then he’ll have his mind all cleared up and know what was the right thing to do. When I ate dinner at their house, I noticed that the tension in the air was thinner than before but that still didn’t make things okay for Tyler himself. I knew that whenever he smiled or had a friendly conversation with Paul, it was only him showing it out of respect, and not affection.

  Who knows, maybe this trip might benefit for the both of us which was one of the reasons why I spent the whole week waiting for this day to come.

  It was finally Friday, the day every student went home happy because of the much needed break they were looking forward to. Not that the trip was going to last for two weeks, of course. Tyler and I agreed to be home back on Monday so we could spend the rest of the break with our friends and his family. Over all I was just pretty happy that things were going smoothly between me and him.

  I was dressed in comfortable clothes since the ride was going to take almost four hours of driving and I didn’t want any of my muscles to become sore, especially my butt. I wore a pair of grey sweatpants and a hoodie to stay warm. I heard that it was very hot over there in Las Vegas but at night it could get a bit chilly. Tyler already booked a hotel we were going to stay in with a pool and everything. I was just sitting on my couch, scrolling through my phone as I waited for him to give me a call, telling me he was ready.

  Remembering the snacks I had in my kitchen, I walked over to the bag and opened it, checking if I had everything ready for the trip. I was sure going to need something to snack on but cursed when I looked inside the bag.

  “Damnit Matt.” I groaned as I shook my head. I knew it was a bad idea to have him over yesterday, knowing he was going to be an eating machine and finish up all my food.

  Letting out a sigh of annoyance, there was only one thing I needed to do now and that is to stop by a market and grab a few stuff. Looking at the time on my phone, I knew that I had no time at all to do that on my own, which meant that Tyler will have to stop by a supermarket on his way down the road.

  Just when I walked out of the kitchen, my phone vibrated in my hand and as I looked down, I noticed that the caller was Tyler and I answered it immediately.

  “Gem, I’m right outside,” he spoke through the other end.

  “Okay I’ll be right there,” I said before hanging up. I rushed to the door and grabbed all my bags which were only a backpack and a traveling pack.

  As I opened the door, I was met with the sight of a smiling Tyler. He leaned over to kiss my forehead, mumbling a hello before grabbing my bags. After locking my door, and placing everything I needed in my purse, I walked over to Tyler’s car to see him talking with Emma. I gave her a small wave once she noticed me and she immediately pulled me into a hug.

  “How are you dear?” she asked.

  “Better than ever.” I grinned.

  “Well now that everything is ready, we’ll be going then,” Tyler said as he dropped his arm on my shoulder, tugging me towards him.

  “Well I hope you two have a safe trip. Please don’t do anything reckless and remember . . . ” She paused while looking at Tyler. “Don’t be silly, wrap your willy.”

  Tyler smacked his hand over his face in embarrassment while I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Mom!” He groaned.

  “What?” she asked innocently.

  I could see the hint of pink which was making its way up his neck and to his cheeks.

  “You know what? Nothing. We’ll just be going,” he mumbled. Letting out another laugh, I hugged Emma and waved goodbye as I got into the car and sat on the passenger seat beside Tyler. As Tyler moved to walk around the car, Emma rushed over to me and popped her head in through the opened window.

  “Have fun but don’t have too much fun, if you know what I mean.” She winked at me, causing me to roll my eyes. “Oh and just a little tip, Tyler’s favorite color is red.” She smirked. I tilted my head and gave her a confused look.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked but before she could give me her answer, in came Tyler who was now seated in the driver’s seat.

  “Mom can you please stop assuming that we’re going away just to have sex?” Tyler grumbled to his mother. Emma let out a dramatic gasp and placed her hand over her mouth.

  “I thought of no such thing, mister!” She hissed.

  Tyler rolled his eyes and let out a sigh before starting his car.

  “Sure. Is that why you placed two boxes of condoms into my bag and asked if Crystal was on the pill?” He smirked, causing my face to go red although I couldn’t help but chuckle. Emma shook her head slightly and shrugged her shoulders innocently.

  “Hey, it’s better to be safe than sorry!” She looked between Tyler and me. “Beside I’m too young to be a grandmother.” She pointed at herself.

  Tyler rolled his eyes once more.

  “Okay Mom, I get it. You want to wait until you’re eighty to actually accept the fact that you’re getting old but―OUCH!” Tyler yelled in pain as he rubbed his shoulder which I just pinched violently. I did it to keep him quiet because the look Emma was giving him looked like she was going to drag her son back into the house and ground him for the rest of his life.

  “Will you stay quiet so you could drive us there with all your limbs in place?” I hissed quietly.

  Tyler nodded, giving me a glare.

  “Geez fine,” he mumbled.

  “Well I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear that and just let you two get going.” Emma smiled at me but glared at her son.

  “Stay safe you two.”

  “On the road or in bed?” Tyler mumbled to himself but it was loud enough for the both of us to hear. I punched his shoulders, keeping him quiet while Emma sighed.

  “Both young man,” she said sternly, causing me to laugh. Tyler shook his head before waving at his mom.

  “Love you too,” he murmured before driving down the road.

  “I’ll see you on Monday!” Emma shouted, waving her hands up in goodbye. I grinned as I looked at her by the car mirror and stuck my hand out of the window to wave goodbye. When we were out of sight, I crossed my arms behind my head and rested my back in the seat.

  “I love your mom.” I giggled.

  “Do you love her or do you love the way she treats me?”

  “Both I guess,” I said with a shrug.

  Just when Tyler made a turn, I saw the nearest supermarket which also happened to be the same one I worked in. That’s when I remembered that I needed to stop by for a couple of snacks.

  “Tyler, wait. Can we just stop by to get a couple of snacks?” I asked pointing at the supermarket ahead. Tyler lifted his eyebrows, flickering his eyes at me.

  “I thought you already had that covered? What happened?” he asked.

  “Two words,” I said, lifting up two fingers. “Matt happened.”

  Tyler grinned at the answer and parked his car into the parking lot.

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “Just a couple of things,” I said as I unbuckled my seat belt.

  “It’s okay. You stay here and I’ll get them.” Tyler insisted but I shook
my head.

  “Are you willing to buy me a bunch of snacks along with some tampons and pads?” I asked knowing I might get my period sooner or later.

  Tyler shrugged.

  “I bought you them last time.” He pointed out.

  “Yeah, the ones I don’t like.” I rolled my eyes.

  “What’s the difference?” he asked, confused.

  “Everything,” I said while opening the car door, and hopping out along with Tyler.

  “They’re all the same.” Tyler threw his hands up into the hair.

  “No, they’re not.” I shook my head. Tyler then opened his mouth to say something but I spoke first, interrupting him.

  “Are you the one who wears them or me?” I asked shutting him up.

  “Exactly.”

  And with that I walked towards the entrance with him by his side. I heard him mumble something but it wasn’t clear enough. As we walked into the place, I told Tyler to grab me a couple of snacks such as chocolate and chips while I grabbed the pads.

  On my way there, I also grabbed some baby wipes to wipe my hands while we’re on the road and to probably take off my makeup. As I put the items into the basket, I heard someone call my name but it wasn’t Tyler. Turning around, I saw who it was.

  Blake.

  “Uh-hi,” I said, watching him place a couple of boxes to the ground.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” I said.

  “You?” I asked.

  “I’m doing good. So what’s up?”

  Well things started to get awkward . . .

  “Nothing really . . . ” I trailed off. “Just grabbing a few things.” Blake nodded and was about to say something when Tyler walked around the aisle and was heading towards me. He had a basket full of goodies which made me lick my lips. You can always depend on me to think about food in the worst scenarios.

  “Gem, which would do you want? The hot or―” He stopped talking when his eyes landed on Blake. He narrowed his eyes and walked closer so he was standing right beside me. He watched Blake closely, crossing his arms while still holding the basket, before giving him a look as if he was trying to remember who he was.